*Hiss...*
"Who was Emperor Chongzhen's grandfather?"
"The Ming Shenzong, Zhu Yijun, known by his reign title, Wanli."
"He was the longest-reigning emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and without a doubt, the most money-obsessed."
If one were to speak of any other emperor, these ministers would surely be skeptical. But when it came to Wanli, few would doubt it. After all, rumors of the Wanli Emperor hoarding vast amounts of silver within the palace had long circulated among the people, sounding almost supernatural.
Wei Zaode was the first to snap back to reality. Although they were all deeply superstitious and held such otherworldly claims in awe, they knew that if something hadn't been proven, it couldn't be taken as truth.
"Your Majesty, where might this silver be hidden?"
Emperor Chongzhen swept his gaze over him, then turned to Wang Chengen. "Wang Chengen, there is a cellar behind the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The silver is buried inside. Arrange for men to dig it up immediately. Even if you have to dig three feet deep into the earth, you will find it."
"I... I obey your command!" Wang Chengen was trembling with excitement. Having long since forgotten the strict protocols of the palace, he sprinted away at full speed.
As Wang Chengen departed, a brief silence descended upon the Huangji Hall. Everyone was waiting.
Emperor Chongzhen sat upon the dragon throne, his heart calm. The two million taels of silver Wanli had hidden were recorded in historical accounts, though Chongzhen himself had not known of it before.
Why hadn't he known? It remained an unsolved historical mystery.
The Hall of Mental Cultivation was less than five hundred meters from the Huangji Hall. Wang Chengen had summoned every eunuch in the vicinity, and even the Brocade Guard, to dig up the ground. Before long, Wang Chengen came running back, smiling, clutching a silver ingot. "Your Majesty! Just as you instructed, we indeed unearthed silver in the cellar behind the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Though we don't know the exact amount, a rough estimate suggests it is at least over a million taels!"
*Gasp...*
A wave of shock rippled through the court. This was not merely about silver; it touched upon the realm of the supernatural. The ancients were inherently superstitious, and in such matters, they preferred to believe in the existence of the divine rather than dismiss it.
Wang Chengen immediately knelt, first stretching his hands piously toward the heavens, then kowtowing heavily as he cried out, "Heaven bless the Great Ming! Our Emperor is wise!"
Spurred on by his lead, the gathered ministers knelt one after another.
"Heaven bless the Great Ming! Our Emperor is wise!"
Before the ministers could rise, Emperor Chongzhen pointed a finger at Wang Zhengzhi and snapped, "Wang Zhengzhi, what more do you have to say in your defense?"
Wang Zhengzhi was stunned. Those words were like a sharp blade piercing his heart, draining him of the strength to resist. He knelt on the floor, pleading for mercy, "I am guilty... I am willing to donate my entire fortune. I beg Your Majesty to spare my family."
"What is your crime?"
"I am guilty of corruption!"
Emperor Chongzhen sneered, "I gave you a chance!"
"I beg Your Majesty to calm your wrath!"
"Your Majesty! Minister Wang was merely muddle-headed for a moment. Please, spare him!"
"Your Majesty, please calm your wrath. Minister Wang should not have been greedy for wealth, nor should he have deceived Your Majesty. Please, for the sake of his years of service to the Imperial Court, show mercy."
Seeing that Emperor Chongzhen intended to deal with Wang Zhengzhi, Wei Zaode, Zhang Jinyan, and Zhu Chunchen all knelt to intercede. They knew full well that if Wang Zhengzhi were punished, they would be next in line to suffer. Led by them, half the court ministers dropped to their knees.
As more and more voices joined the plea, the anger within Emperor Chongzhen only grew harder to suppress. These scholars spoke endlessly of their devotion to the Great Ming, yet in their actions, they were entirely self-serving.
Han Feizi had written in *The Five Vermin* that among the five major pests that destroy a nation, scholars come first. And among scholars, the Confucianists are the worst.
What is the core philosophy of Confucianism? Is it benevolence, righteousness, ritual, wisdom, integrity, forgiveness, loyalty, filial piety, or fraternal love?
No! It is double standards!
They spout these slogans with their mouths, but their actions are the exact opposite, because the power of final interpretation rests in their hands.
Take Yuan Chonghuan as an example. He achieved the great victories at Ningyuan and Ningjin, and even lifted the siege of the Capital in the second year of Chongzhen’s reign. Such an immense contribution would have earned anyone a title of nobility in any other dynasty. And yet? He was impeached in court and ultimately put to death by slow slicing.
Where was the benevolence and righteousness the Confucianists spoke of? Why did they not plead for Yuan Chonghuan or attempt to mediate?
After that incident, the relationship between the ruler and his ministers—especially between the Emperor and his generals—began to falter. Even if Yuan Chonghuan deserved to die, he should not have died at that moment. The ministers knew this truth, but they dared not speak it, fearing they would be implicated. Killing him may have seemed to uphold imperial authority, but in reality, it strangled the loyalty of the generals.
The nation's taxes relied on farmers, and its defense relied on soldiers. Yet, there was no place for farmers or soldiers in the Imperial Court, nor were they welcomed. Consequently, farmers did all they could to stop tilling the land, and soldiers were unwilling to fight. The national strength began to wane.
The fall of the Ming Dynasty was half due to the inevitable laws of feudal dynastic decline, and half due to the shared failures of Emperor Chongzhen and these Confucian scholars.
Furthermore, Emperor Chongzhen knew very well that these people were not truly remorseful; they were merely trying to survive.
Having realized this, Emperor Chongzhen roared, "Wang Zhixin!"
"I... I am here."
Wang Zhixin had been standing to the side, watching the spectacle, and was startled by the sudden shout. He cautiously glanced at Emperor Chongzhen from the corner of his eye and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that the Emperor’s fury was not directed at him.
"Go, accompany Commander Wu. Investigate every official whose name I have mentioned. For anyone whose assets do not match their reported wealth, there is no need to ask for an imperial decree—confiscate their homes and arrest them on the spot. You will monitor one another, and you must verify everything clearly. Hand over all confiscated properties to the Ministry of Revenue. If anyone is found shielding the corrupt or omitting evidence, execute them immediately!"
"Yes... yes!" Wang Zhixin kowtowed tremblingly and scurried after Wu Mengming, fleeing the Huangji Hall at top speed.
He had a hunch: the Emperor Chongzhen who had purged Wei Zhongxian all those years ago was back. No, he was even more ruthless than before. That time, he had only targeted Wei Zhongxian’s Eunuch Faction; this time, the Emperor was targeting everyone! He felt fortunate that he had donated his money, yet he was also terrified, for his own hidden assets were still substantial.
As the figures of Wu Mengming and Wang Zhixin disappeared, Emperor Chongzhen finally let out a breath. In critical moments, one must rely on the Brocade Guard and the Eastern Depot.
Imperial power in the Ming Dynasty was not absolute; it was checked in many ways. Take the military, for instance. Aside from the Yongwei Battalion, the only military forces Emperor Chongzhen could mobilize independently were the Brocade Guard and the Eastern Depot.
The mobilization of any other military force required several crucial steps. First, the Emperor had to consult with the cabinet. The cabinet would draft an imperial decree, which would then be stamped and signed separately by the cabinet and the Directorate of Ceremonial. Then, the Inner Court’s eunuchs in charge of the imperial stables would take the decree and its tokens to the Ministry of War to mobilize troops. Once the Ministry of War confirmed the orders, they would prepare the personnel and supplies, then hand them over to the Five Military Commissions. Finally, a designated Commander would lead the troops into battle.
If any link in this chain were missing, the other departments would simply ignore the order. This was a major reason why, even when eunuchs possessed immense power, they were unable to launch a rebellion. No matter how great their influence, it could never surpass imperial authority. If the Emperor himself could not bypass the system, the eunuchs certainly could not.
Watching the retreating figures of Wu Mengming and Wang Zhixin, Wang Zhengzhi fell into despair. He could not comprehend why Emperor Chongzhen’s personality had suddenly changed. Before, he had been indecisive; now, he was cutting through knots like a sharp blade. He looked blankly at the Senior Grand Secretary, pinning all his hopes on him.
Emperor Chongzhen had made it clear: all officials who had been named would be investigated. And these individuals were among the most prestigious in the land: the Senior Grand Secretary Wei Zaode; the Duke of Cheng, Zhu Chunchen; the Minister of War, Zhang Jinyan; and the Minister of Works, Fan Jingwen.